Case Study #5: ACLU of Arizona

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is an affiliate of the national ACLU.

Situation: Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the ACLU of Arizona had compiled information about the use of Tasers by law enforcement throughout the state and was seeking a writer to draft a public report based on its analysis of the data. Emily Whitfield’s background in civil liberties and criminal justice issues, combined with her proven writing skills, made her an ideal candidate for this task.

Solution: In consultation with ACLU of Arizona legal staff as well as academic experts, Emily Whitfield Communications transformed the raw data and conclusions of the ACLU’s research into a substantive, hard-hitting 40-page document including an executive summary, specific findings and recommendations, over 100 footnotes, and several appendices. She conducted additional research on Taser incidents around the country, reviewed Taser International media and training materials, and made suggestions for policy recommendations.  Emily also wrote the press release announcing the report and advised on media strategy for the report roll-out.

The report, A Force to Be Reckoned With: Taser use and polices in 20 Arizona law enforcement agencies, was released in late June 2011 at a news conference in Phoenix.  The news was covered in every major Arizona media outlet (including the Arizona Republic, Arizona Daily Star, Fox News, Tuscon Daily Citizen, as well as on the DailyKos blog).  By transforming complex and detailed information into a powerful advocacy tool, Emily helped the ACLU accomplish a major policy goal of raising awareness with Arizona’s law enforcement agencies about the inconsistent and increasingly unbridled use of Tasers.